How Much Is The RNC Spending On Donald Trump Ads?

(Politico) The Republican National Committee insists that it’s doing everything in its power to elect Donald Trump, but as Trump gets clobbered on the TV airwaves by his well-funded Democratic rival, the RNC has been conspicuously absent.

A POLITICO analysis of campaign finance records reveals that the committee has not spent anything on commercials boosting Trump since he emerged as the party’s likely nominee.

RNC chief of staff Katie Walsh said that the committee is not going to spend any more money this cycle on television ad IEs, but that the decision is completely unrelated to Trump.

Rather, she said it stems from a strategic calculation made soon after the 2012 election that “that is not an efficient use of party committee dollars to spend money on television.” Pointing to a report that assessed the shortcomings of Republican efforts in the 2012 election, she said RNC leaders determined that the party’s money was better invested in data-driven voter contact operations.

Real or spin? Could it be that they just don’t feel it’s worth the bother, when the candidate himself barely bothers with TV ads? I don’t know about you, but, I rarely see an official Trump TV commercial or hear a radio ad. If I had to guess, I’ll see/hear 1 for every ten official Hillary ones. Most pro-Trump/anti-Hillary are by independent groups.

Despite the Democratic National Committee’s lack of any IE spending, Clinton and groups supporting her had outspent Trump and his allies on ads $189 million to $50 million through the end of last week, according to advertising data compiled by the firm Advertising Analytics for NBC News.

The big donors who typically hook up PACs and such aren’t reaching deep into their pockets in support of Trump.

But, really, what of the Trump campaign itself?

(Wall Street Journal) Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are spending millions to flood swing-state airwaves with campaign ads in the final weeks of the presidential election. But because Mrs. Clinton’s team typically books hers much earlier, her dollars are going further.

Mrs. Clinton paid $770 to air a 30-second spot Monday during the drama “Timeless” on Fort Myers, Fla.’s WBBH, according to Federal Communications Commission filings that were confirmed by the TV station. Mr. Trump paid about $300 more for his ad on the same show.

Trump is paying more because they are booking later, because they really don’t seem to know what they’re doing.

The article also highlights the overall discrepancy on spending. In comparison, Romney and the groups supporting him had spend $550 million in 2012. Obama and his groups spent $500 million. Hillary and the groups that support her are sitting at $325 million. Trump’s number? $78 million.

He is finally booking lots of spots, but, she had a two month head start. How much will late in the game ads make a difference? I guess we’ll see. But, the spending, or, rather, lack thereof by the RNC shows how much they’ve just washed their hands of the whole thing.